I'm planning to make burgers and chicken breasts on the man stove this evening. I'm working on refining a new technique I tried for the breasts for the first time recently: Starting them indirectly under aluminum pans before searing the outsides directly to finish them. First time out they were better than my perfected method for doing them directly, so I'm already way ahead of the game on this one.

Blue wrote on Jun 4, 2012, 06:35:And I'm all about the brine. Never realized there were a bunch of non-brining heathens around here.

Bleu, as a guy that's worked with some incredible chefs you pick up things over the years about things like brining. Restos don't do it - again unless it's a flavour bath - because there's no need to. Seriously, try what I said and see. Tent loosely in foil/cook/remove foil for maillard reaction/eat. You will see it works out perfectly.

Well, I doubt those chefs were actually grilling over charcoal in their restaurants, but I have actually never seen much argument against brining from anyone. And it is indeed to impart flavor as well as moisture: I have garlic and lemon and pepper and more in the brine. Chicken turns out better than without it, and I've tried various ways.

space captain wrote on Jun 3, 2012, 15:35:you always want to sear the meat first, not after you cook it through

otherwise its pointless .. the objective is to keep the moisture in

That's a myth. The sear is for flavor. It doesn't seal in squat.

And I'm all about the brine. Never realized there were a bunch of non-brining heathens around here.

Bleu, as a guy that's worked with some incredible chefs you pick up things over the years about things like brining. Restos don't do it - again unless it's a flavour bath - because there's no need to. Seriously, try what I said and see. Tent loosely in foil/cook/remove foil for maillard reaction/eat. You will see it works out perfectly.

"There are two kinds of people in this world; people who love delis, and people you shouldn’t associate with.” - Damon Runyan

ugh. My hero died. A drunk on tv kissing women. Good for him. I raise my drink to you sir!!!

Seconded.

You don't need brine to have moist chicken - you just need to make sure you don't over cook the chicken.

And again, seconded. The only thing you need to brine are large turkeys given how long they have to be in the oven. Otherwise you never need to brine anything except to impart flavour. Simple way to retain moisture is tent the meat in foil then remove the foil for the last 15+/- minutes of cooking time. It should be plenty crisp outside and plenty juicy inside.

"There are two kinds of people in this world; people who love delis, and people you shouldn’t associate with.” - Damon Runyan

Deadmeat wrote on Jun 3, 2012, 16:34:I registered to tell you this, because saving people from shit BBQ chicken breast is worth the time.

Brine the chicken breast in a 5-8% brine (1 litre water to 50 grams salt) for 1-2 hours before cooking and they will remain moist even after searing (it doesn't matter if you sear first or last).

Mix up an appropriate amount of brine (depends on the container size you'll use) so that all the chicken will be completely submerged. Chill the brine in the fridge before use (otherwise the chicken heats up to the tap water temp and bacteria grow), then combine the chicken and the brine. A plastic container with a lid or a ziplock resealable bag (in a bowl incase it leaks) both work great, leave in fridge for 1-2 hours).

Drain the brine, pat dry with paper towels and rub with either a dry rub, butter + herbs + garlic, whatever your favourite is. You can add flavours to the brine mix too.

Using a probe thermometer is the best way to prevent overcooked meats, remember to take into account 'carryover heat' (temp rise of 2-4C after removing from heat). and be sure to rest meat before slicing.

edit: brining is also the key to lean pork cuts, although it's not necessary for fattier styles like pulled pork shoulder.

You don't need brine to have moist chicken - you just need to make sure you don't over cook the chicken.

I registered to tell you this, because saving people from shit BBQ chicken breast is worth the time.

Brine the chicken breast in a 5-8% brine (1 litre water to 50 grams salt) for 1-2 hours before cooking and they will remain moist even after searing (it doesn't matter if you sear first or last).

Mix up an appropriate amount of brine (depends on the container size you'll use) so that all the chicken will be completely submerged. Chill the brine in the fridge before use (otherwise the chicken heats up to the tap water temp and bacteria grow), then combine the chicken and the brine. A plastic container with a lid or a ziplock resealable bag (in a bowl incase it leaks) both work great, leave in fridge for 1-2 hours).

Drain the brine, pat dry with paper towels and rub with either a dry rub, butter + herbs + garlic, whatever your favourite is. You can add flavours to the brine mix too.

Using a probe thermometer is the best way to prevent overcooked meats, remember to take into account 'carryover heat' (temp rise of 2-4C after removing from heat). and be sure to rest meat before slicing.

edit: brining is also the key to lean pork cuts, although it's not necessary for fattier styles like pulled pork shoulder.